Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-03-02
A WOMAN HANGED,

MrS. tIOAdlduud DIuSe was IielhSSu e'o
Herkimer, N. Y, at ~ NJ, last Monday for
the murder of her husband on the morning
of December 18, 1881. William Druse,
the murdered husband, treated his family
very badly, and it was shown on the trial
that Mrs. Druse was by no means woman
of bad disposition. It would seem from all
that is known that the woman did about all
she could to keep her family together and a
roof over their heads, for the burden OF the
work fell upon her. Druse mortgaged his
farm again and again and squandered the
money. He would 60 away and be gone
for weeks, leaving his family without food
or fuel, and his wife had to chop wood and
dig frozen potatoes from the ground IN
which Druse had buried them as they were
dug. The nearest neighbor was Charles
Gates, half mile away. He had married
Mrs. Druses sister and had two sons, CheS-
ter and Frank.
It was several days after Druse was mis-
sing before an investigation was made.
Then Frank Gates told the whole story.
He had spent the night of the 18th with
George Druse. He was the first one to
get up in the morning. and he lighted the
fire in the kitchen stove. Druse then got
up and came into the kitchen in his usual
hasty temper, and grumbled because there
was not warmer fire. lie then went mutt
tering off to the barn to do the "chores." {"
When Druse came back from the barn
Mary Druse and her mother had come into
the kitchen. Druse at once commenced
abusing them, taking as his text the size OF
a grocer's bill which had been augmented
by his own purchases of tobacco. Over this
and over threshing board which had
been cut up he stormed and sWore like a
madman. Druse at last sat down to his
oks
still raging furiously, his wife and daugh-
ter retorting to his abuse. During the
height of the battle of words, Frank says,
Mrs. Druse whispered to him and to George
Druse to 60 out doors. They did 80, and a
few minutes later heard a pistol shot.
They started to 60 into the house, and as
they reached the door Mrs. Druse, in state
of great agitation, flung it wide open. She
held pistol in her hand, which she showed
at Frank Gates, saying:
''Shoot him can't make the pistol go
off. Shoot him, or will shoot you"
Farmer Druse was then sitting in an OBJ
scure corner of the room on chair. Blood
was flowing from wound in his neck, and
about his neck there was also rope tightly
drawn, to the end of which Mary, Druse's
daughter was holding with with all llstrength.
Druse was struggling feebly. Frank took
the pistol from Mrs Druse and fred it at
Druse until it was empty. Mary then took
the pistol and tried to reload it, but cart
ridge exploded and narrowly escaped
wounding her.
Druse, when his daughter let 60 of the
rope, fell to the floor with his head toward
the hearth. He was still living and con-
scous. His wife seemed to be in state of
frenzy, with all the concentrated hate gath
cred from years of abuse fully let loose. AS
her husband fell she seized an axe and raised
it aloft. Druse, lying on the floor, saw her
and fully realized her intention, for he
moaned out feebly:
"Don't, RoXey don't"
Mrs. Druse hit him sickening blow on
Law. She then hacked away at the dead
mans neck with the dull-edged axe until
the head was severed from the body.
The mother and daughter then secreted
the headless body in the house, chopped it
to pieces, boiled the flesh from the bones,
concealing in swamp near by such evil
dences of the murder as they could not
destroy.
After detection, the daughter pleaded
guilty and was sentenced to the Ononda-
ga penitentiary for life. A strong effort
was made for the mother; and after her
case had gone adversely through all the
tribunals the Governor declined to inter-
fere though thousands of messages and petit
tions were sent to him, praying executive
clemency.
On Saturday Mrs. Druse made her will,
bequeathing her body to her clergyman
and her cabinet organ to her daughter
Mary, now in the penitentiary. A service
was held in her cell on Sunday night, and
the usual religious services were conducted
on the scaffold. Mrs. Druse wore simple
black dress which was made for the occa-
sion. Only the small number of persons
allowed by law witnessed the execution.